Praise and thanks are due to BVHaast for re-releasing this music; for too long Willem Breuker’s back catalogue has been rather, er, shambolic, a situation that the label is starting to sort out. Breuker is theatrical (in several senses), with much of his work being scores for stage, film, or TV productions. This reissue combines two of his highly regarded original scores composed to accompany theater pieces by Bertolt Brecht; Drums in the Night premiered in 1975, and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui in 1983.

As with any theatrical or cinema soundtrack, the question arises of whether this music stands up in its own right, away from the visuals it was designed to accompany. In the case of these pieces, the answer can only be a qualified “yes”. They are both such theatrical pieces that it is very hard to hear them as anything else. Not least, this is because they have been written to evoke the particular historical time and place of the plays, which they do brilliantly; consequently it is difficult to hear this as timeless music.

Of the two, Drums in the Night stands alone better. The main reason is that is consists of longer pieces (the longest, “De gauche (la revolution)” lasting eight and a half minutes), allowing time for melodic themes to be stated, developed and explored, so that they have a satisfying completeness by themselves. Breuker did write some exquisite melodies for this score, delicate and poignant alternating with majestic and bombastic. And, as so often, his arrangements sound effortless and strike the right balance between freedom and control, giving the playing a swinging looseness.

The music for The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui highly stylized, so it frequently sounds ironic and insincere. Brecht’s play itself deals with its very serious subject matter (the rise of Fascism) playfully, and the music matches its tone. But heard alone, it is difficult to fully take it seriously, much less to warm to it. It is highly episodic, consisting of short, tightly focused themes that are not developed before the next episode begins. The effect is the aural equivalent of eating a rapidly changing succession of highly flavored snacks; however tasty each is, there is no time to appreciate and savor one before the next arrives and the next and so on… The inevitable result is indigestion.

Tellingly, the most successful piece by far, “Cicero”, is also one of the longest. Again, time to develop its theme is the key to its success, with its dialogue between strings and reeds being particularly effective. On it, Breuker plays to the strengths of his musicians (as Duke used to), drawing out and emphasizing their individualities. A delight.

Breuker’s music is undoubtedly an acquired taste, in my opinion one well worth acquiring. Those of you with the taste will be glad to have this music back in circulation. Those of you seeking to acquire the taste may be best advised to start elsewhere.